Personnel of the State Security Naval Forces
Much of the personnel of the State Security Naval Forces came from discontented elements of the pre-coup People's Navy. Naval personnel As a general rule, State Security allowed its personnel a lot more latitude in choosing their assignments than the People's Navy did. (HHA4) Up to eighty percent of SSNF personnel, like in the People's Navy, fell into low level education category enforcers who could be relied upon to take orders. ( ) Much of StateSec Naval Forces personnel came from discontented elements of the pre-coup People's Navytogether with the fortress command and the Extension Navy (mentioned at HHA1) and People's Marinesit is not certain, if former People's Marines were employed as core warships complement members, so such information concerns rather origin of SSNF marine complements; on the other hand in the RMN marine complements were armament crew, however it lacked the training and experience to make full and proper use in combat of the warships StateSec controlledeg. crews of the StateSec superdreadnoughts in the La Martin Sector had no real battle experience until May 1915 PD; crews of StateSec warships from Danak sector were much worse trained than People's Navy personnel stationed there (HH8, HHA4). Flag officers as well as ship commanding officers at State Security Naval Forces were rareso there wasn't probably SSNF officers capable to command a warship not assigned to command it and thus valuable. Some of ship commanding officers were described as incompetentCaptain (SS) Vladovich, CO of PNS Tepes (HH7), Captain (SS) Isler, CO of PNS Modred (HH8), Captain (SS) Jilian Gallanti, CO of PNS Hector van Dragen (HHA4) however. It was not mentioned, that StateSec created its naval officers by educating themeg. at the People's Republic's State Security Academy, established after 1905 PD or - mustangs - at the State Security Officer Training School; anyway with no advanced courses junior officers would be possible only; it seems the StateSec Academy gave rather universal training suitable for special service officers, like Victor Cachat, as well as for People's Commissioners assigned to the People's Navy, like Yuri Radamacher, however prospective People's Commissioners should obtaine some basic naval knowledge; OTS was mentioned only together with Sergeant Jaime Rolla's possible promotion to officer's rank (HHA3, HHA4). Another possible sources of trained personnel were People's Merchant Serviceespecially reserve naval commissioned officers (mentioned in HH1) or other StateSec branchesespecially prison branch with its Charon Control, where naval officers were employed - eg. Commander Rangman]], or StateSec's small craft pilotes and maintanance personnel; rotation on some posts within StateSec was mentioned. Moreover after Admiral McQueen's coupe attempt in December 1914 PD, StateSec began to employ conscripts.at least for Intervention battalion purposes (HH10) The SSNF lacked well-trained personnel and specialists even more, than the People's Navy, so StateSec communications systems were designed and maintained by People’s Navy communications personnel. (HHA4, ) Naval staffs Probably there were no naval staffs within sectoral state security intervention forces.there were two known events when People's Navy staff was employed for task groups command in conjunction with StateSec in 1913 PD: Commodore Rachel Yang for Seabring expedition and Rear Admiral Yearman for the Cerberus expedition - both under superior command of Generals of State Security (HH8) At least three squadron-level naval staffs were present in 1914-1915 PD period.Helft's, Heemskerk's and Salzner's, however there were also over-sized mixed battle squadron initially subordinated to 12th Fleet and at least one flag officer (Clinget) acting as a pirate outside the Republic of Haven area; deficite of StateSec flag officers could be a reason for over strengthened battle squadrons organization (HH9, SI1) After McQueen's coupe attempt in December 1914 PD: * the Naval Staff of People's NavyAdmiral Ivan Bukato and his staff were killed at the blowed up Octagon building and surviving Naval Staff members were arrested was replaced with State Security officersit was planned then that People's Navy as the unified armed services would absorb and supplant all the regular services under StateSec command; the only appeared flag officer cooperating then with Chairman of the Committee of Public Safety Oscar Saint Just was Admiral Stephanopoulos, however it is not certain if he was full Admiral (HH9), * there was no suitable candidate within StateSec for the Capital Fleet commander positionexecuted Capital Fleet commander was in rank of full Admiral; in appeared StateSec Naval Forces flag ranks were some Admiral, one Rear Admiral and two Commodores; one of that Commodores commanded a StateSec battle squadron (HH9, SI1). Marine complements Generally 'State Security Ground Forces' troops were used as marine complements for StateSec Naval Forces vessels. ( ) As marine complements should be better qualified than ordinary ground troops, SSNF marine complements probably originated from discontented elements of the pre-coup People's Marines. StateSec regulations did not forbid to use People's Marines as marine complements for StateSec Naval Forces. However, People's Marines were present on a StateSec SD in the rare instances when suppressing a widespread rebellion was required.A similar situation occurred in case of the Cerberus expedition, however the People's Marines presence then did not concern StateSec warships. ( ) There were at least seven other precedents when People's Marines had been stationed on StateSec capital ships, including two on People's Commissioner Eloise Pritchart's ordersPritchart was assigned to Admiral Giscard; the only known force commanded by him and consisted of StateSec capital ships was the Twelfth Fleet after Operation Scylla in 1914 PD. and on Special Investigator Victor Cachat's order in 1915 PD in the La Martine Sector. ( ) Incorporation into the RHN It is possible at least some SSNF crew were incorporated into the RHN in 1915 PD. However, there was only one known example of such policy in Commander of StateSec Wright's brevet promotion to the rank of Captain and giving him command of ''Hector van Dragen. All ship complements in Rear Admiral Chin's task force in the La Martine System were mixed between the naval and StateSec units present there even before Admiral Theisman's coup. ( ) References Category:Havenite Military Category:Republic of Haven Navy